*On Friday we told you that Omarosa Manigault-Newman, who’s a public liaison official in the Trump administration, was invited to a panel at the NABJ/National Association of Black Journalists conference in New Orleans.
We had a feeling that things weren’t gonna go well, we were right. The panel, by the way, was on police brutality, but the moderator, Ed Gordon (Bounce TV), wanted to steer Manigualt-Newman to another direction: Donald Trump. Of course Omarosa wasn’t having it and thus the drama we predicted ensued.
But even before that happened, some attendees turned their backs on her as the former “Apprentice” star sat down for the panel that included Philando Castile’s mother Valerie Castile and Alton Sterling’s aunt Sandra Sterling.
Attendees are standing and turning their backs to Omarosa Manigault’s #NABJ17 panel participation. Others are walking out. pic.twitter.com/5nlB62HZ88
— Suzette Hackney (@suzyscribe) August 11, 2017
As we said, things got heated between Manigualt-Newman and Gordon when he began asking her about the President’s views.
“Ask about my story, I’m not going to stand here and defend every single word or decision,” she said after standing up from her chair.
However, she was asked about her role in the Trump administration, and what – if anything – she’s done for the black community.
“I fight on the front lines every day,” Manigault-Newman said, provoking laughter and groans from the audience.
Omarosa had previously taken issue with the negative attention around her NABJ appearance, and said that she was on the panel to discuss loved ones she had lost to violence.
“I am here @NABJ to talk about my father and brother’s murders. Do you have any decency?”
Manigualt-Newman did say that some of Trump comments such as police should not “be too nice,” were inappropriate.
Omarosa got out of her seat and paced the stage at one point, engaging in repeated back-and-forths with other panelists. Finally, Gordon seemed to have had enough.
“We have reached the point of diminished returns,” Gordon, the moderator said to the audience.
Lawd. This Omarosa panel went from 0 to 100 really, really quick.
— Lilly Workneh (@Lilly_Works) August 11, 2017
According to HuffPost, minutes later, when NABJ President Sarah Glover tried to explain why Manigault-Newman had been invited in the first place, the reality show star appeared to blow a kiss to someone in the audience. Then she got up and left the stage without saying anything further.
“It would be foolhardy to assume that anyone would come here or that any journalist worth his salt or her salt would sit here and not ask certain questions,” Gordon told the audience.
